Flying apparatus



Aug. 27, 1935. s P. NEMETH FLYING APPARATUS Filed Jan, 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 27, 1935. s. P. NEMETH 2,012,768

FLYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GM M Patented Aug. 27, 1935 7 arms- APPARATUS j steirenn' ve eth, Chicago, 111. I ApplicationJanuary 16, 1935, Serial No. 2,094 Q 3;(llaims.:(Cl. 244 11) This invention relates to flying apparatus in which useful airforcesare set up by a pair of airfoils oscillated substantially parallel to the direction of flight; Theinvention resides in the'im- Y proved design of these airfoils, and inthemanner in which they are drivenand their incidence "periodically and aperiodically'adjustedand con trolled, as will be hereinafter describedand explained.

It is the broad object of this inventionto pro-' vide for flying apparatus capable of leaving the ground and starting on a vertical or very steep path, of hovering in, the air under its own power,

of executing fast flights efiiciently and economi-, cally, and to glide down without powerat a reasonably low velocity. Y i

It is another objectof the invention toprovide for flying apparatus withouta rotating propeller, eliminating thereby the aerodynamic power loss of such propelleryits noise, and the danger associated therewith on the ground.

Another object is to provide 'in'flying appa-' ratus for a pair" of oscillating airfoils the in-l cidence of which is changed through a considerable period and gradually. during eachstroke, whereby their aerodynamic capacity is increased.

A still other object of the invention is to provide for flying apparatus comprising a pair of airfoils, oscillated substantially parallel tolthe direction of flight by a crank and connecting rod mechanism, whereby these airfoils are ,adjustably linked to the connecting rods driving'them, as more'particularly described hereinafter. f These and other desirable-objects 'and advantages of the present invention'will be' illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddescribed in the specification, a preferred embodiment being disclosed by way of illustration on1y,'for since the underlying principles may-be incorporated in other specific devices, it is not intended to be limited to the one here shown, except as such" limitations are clearly imposed by the appended claims. I

In the drawings like numerals refer to similar parts throughoutth several views, of which Fig. I shows a side view of the flying apparatus,

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the same,

Fig. 3 shows a partial front view of the airfoil truck 20 of Fig. 1, andits relation to the airfoil track,

Fig. 4'sh0ws a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 through one of the airfoils, showing the tip flaps and the manner in which they are controlled,

Fig. 5.,showsa'1cross section on the-line'5 5 of Fig. l through oneof the airfoils, showingits.

bottom plate, its rear flap, andthe manner in which they are linked together, i a .1. 1

Fig. 6 shows in anenlarged scale the portion near the flaphinge of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 shows a partial side view of the airfoil control mechanism, p r r h Fig. 8 shows a front view of the same mecharatus, and

Fig. 1:), relating back to Fig. 7, shows a 'top l view of a portion of-the connecting rod 36.and its H linkage mechanism. s

Turning now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is depicted a flying apparatus embodying my invention; The

elevator and rudderunit I2 at:its rear,' a'-cockpit l3, and at its front'an air cooled radial engine.

The 'power generated in said engine is trans mitted through a shaft I5 and'a'be'velgearl6'to a pair of balanced crank shafts--l1*,supported bearings 18 mounted on the fuselage I i-.5 Rigidly connected totthe'fuselageJl by means of braces l9is a pair of airfoil tracks20. Slidably mount necting rods 36; Hinged to trucks 80, about a pivot 2|," is an airfoil 22, one on each truck. Air

. it) Fig. 9 is a control diagram of .the flyingappa fuselage H- has a landing gear, aconventional ,edon said tracks isa pair of airfoil trucks 80,1- linked to the crank shafts 11 by means ofcon foils 22 are linked atthe. pivot 23 to the connecting rod 36 bymeans of thelink members 25.- Turning now :to Figs. '7,8,and '10, the last mentioned mechanisms are. shown' in greater .de-.

tail. Bearing 2fi mounted on truck'801supports a journal carrying on one side the sprocket wheel 21 and on its other side-the universal joint 28.

Bearing 29,'mounted on the airfoil structure '22 mitted to the threaded bolt 33, in screwing mesh to the slide 35. 35 is slidably supported by the connecting rod 36.

Bearings 3'! and 38, mounted on saidconnecting rod, support a threaded spindle 39, in screw 'with the tube 34. which tube in turn is hinged" ing mesh with slide 35'. This spindle is coupled to the universal joint 40, and the latter joint at its These square shafts pass respectively through corresponding square holes of a gearwheel 46, a sprocket wheel 41, and a lever 48, made to slide axially along their shafts by means of thrust bearings mounted on truck 88, andare in 'operative connection with gear wheel 42, sprocket wheel 21, and bell crank respectively; Said square shafts, and thereby 46, 41, and 48, can be turned by the pilot by means of hand wheels 60 and 6| and of'control stick 9|; Said handwheels andj stick are in" fixed" relation to the sprocket wheels and 5|,and the lever 52 respectively, which in turn by means. of chains 53 and 54 and rod 55; are inoperative connection respectively with sprocket wheels 92land 93 an'd'lever 94, fixed respectively to shafts 43', 44, a'nd 45.

. In order to obtain'lateral control of the airfoils- 22 in both, forward andbackward motion, there are provided pairs of tip flaps 62, hinged to airfoils. 22 rotatable about annaxis 63 substantially parallel to the direction of flight. The deflection of these'tip flaps is controlled by a rod 64, hinged toth'eftwo tip flaps, andinoperative connection with rod 49 by means of the bell crank 65 mountedv-onjthe' airfoil structure. "This bell crank is linked tolever '41 by meansof rod 49. In their neutral positiorkboth tip flaps point partly down, a's'tdrawn in full line in Fig. 4. In their extreme controlling position, the. one is inlinewith the airfoil, and the other'is' fully turned down; as drawn'in' dashed line in Fig. 4. The centerjof pressureof the airfoil lift is thereby moved sidewaysj'and-a' rolling moment produced. I In order to obtain alarge liftingcapacity of theairfoils, each is provided with a. rear flap 66,

' hinged to the top 'end lof the airfoil at the pivot 51, and held inpositionlby pins 68 fixed to the rear. flaps belowfat theinfront end. These pins engage slots 69 in brackets 10 attached to bottom plates ll, which latter. plates are hinged to the airfoil structure 'at112 *and form a portion of the bottomisurface thereof. Thej'axis of rotation about'the pivots =12 is parallel to the leadingedge of the airfoili Ordinarily, thelair forces tend to turn up the rear flaps 66, therebyturning-bottom plate 'Hinto'its lowest position.' The Wing sectioniof the airfoil hasrthen a contour with straight and parallel upper and lower; portions 94and '95, and moderately sharpleading and trailing edges 9B,.8SShOWI1 inFigyfiu JWhe'n the direction of theresultant moment 10f: the air' forces. on the rear flap is reversed, which happens at large incidence, this: flapais'depressed into the posi tion drawn indashed line in Fig.5, and by virtue it up into the air.

of its linkage with the bottom plate the latter is turned up, whereby a smooth streamlined cross section of the airfoil is obtained suitable for the production of a large lift.

For the operation of the flying apparatus, the control stick is used as in conventional airplanes. When about to take off, handwheels and 6| are turned so that the incidence of the airfoils becomes zero in their end positions and positive during the forward stroke andnegative 'cluring the backward stroke. That isto sayslide 35 is moved to the left hand side in Fig. 7, and the link member 25 is shortened. With the engine driving, the airfoils will then produce a powerful lift without forward motion of the apparatus, lifting A sufficient altitude having thus been obtained, the same hand wheels El) and 61 are turned, so as to give to the airfoils a positiveincidence during the entire stroke, that is to say, slide 25 is moved to the righthand side in Fig.1. 7,. .andnthe link ."nr1embe'r25 is lengthened.

The apparatus wilhthen'assume horizontal flight,

the airfoils acting at th'e'same .timeas lifting and as propelling members. ..Should the. engine stall during the flight, the apparatus willassume a' gentle down glide without changein the setting of. the incidence control hand wheel's, either with the oscillation of the airfoils discontinued, or continuing the same under themselves. 1'

' .Ixclalmz.

:1.'In a flyingappa ratuszi a pair of a'irfoils adapted to be reciprocateda:substantially paralleltothe direction-of flight; adjustable means for periodically changing the incidence. of'said airfoils during each stroke, said change taking place graduallyand during a substantial portion of the oscillation period; means'for' adjusting the aver-' ageincidence of said, airfoilsrandpower means 2. In a. flying apparatus: a pan 0f"alIfOl1S o forreciprocatingxsaid airfoils.

adapted to be reciprocatedsubstantially parallel tothe direction of flight; meansadjustable dur" ing flight for periodically changingfthe incidence.

of' said airfoils during each'stroke, said change taking place gradually andduring a substantial portion of the oscillation peri0d;'means foradjusting-during flight the average incidence of said airfoils; andv power means for reciprocating said airfoils.

3..In a flying apparatus: fixed tracks substantially parallel to the direction of flight; apair of airfoil trucks slidablymounted on said-tracksya pair of oppositely turnable cranks; a pair of connecting rods, linking each truck ,to one of the cranks; a pair of airfoils hinged respectively to. thetrucks so as to permit a change of the incl-- deuce; a pair :of linkmembers connecting each airfoil =with the coordinated "connection rod;-

means for changing during flight the length of said link members and the position of their. pivot I'ElfltiVB'tO the connecting rod; and power means, for turning said cranks.

'' STEFFENP. NEMETH.

the action of the airforce's, 

